Smithsonian.com

Scott Solomon is "The Ant Hunter"

When troops of "crazy rasberry ants" invaded Texas last year, surprised homeowners found the bugs wedged inside personal computers and shorting out electrical devices. Even NASA grew concerned when the ants marched into the Johnson Space Center. As the species' seeming attraction to electronics b...

When troops of "crazy rasberry ants"
invaded Texas last year, surprised homeowners found the bugs wedged inside personal computers and shorting out electrical devices. Even NASA grew concerned when the ants marched into the Johnson Space Center. As the species' seeming attraction to electronics became a news maker, Scott Solomon explained over at
Slate:

"Invasive species like the crazy rasberry ant are adapted to environments that are constantly changing, so they are always searching for new homes. Electrical switch boxes, gas meters, or your PC make ideal homes because they are dry and have small, easily defendable entrances," Solomon wrote.

Solomon, a postdoctoral research fellow at the
Smithsonian's Ant Lab, enjoys sharing his passion for science with the public. He wrote about the effort to create a virtual Lucy fossil for
Wired.com and scribed science feature articles for his student newspaper at the University of Texas. But his most personal project is his blog, "
The Ant Hunter," where he shows, through pictures and words, both the unglamorous and the exotic world of entomological research.

In the blog, Solomon writes about crawling through a Brazilian desert at night, dodging scorpions and spiky shrubs, as he searches for ant colonies. The fieldwork he does is far from a
leisurely vacation. At some points, dinner has consisted of instant coffee and crackers, highlighted by a trip to a nearby diner for grilled goat. Sleeping can be a hazard as well, especially if army ants are seizing your bed. And Solomon always seems to travel during the wet season. "Sometimes it's miserable," he says, "but I love it and it's a lot of fun." According to his 10-year-old cousin, Solomon is like the
Crocodile Hunter for ants.

The blog began as a way for the ant hunter to keep in touch with family and friends abroad, and to keep writing skills sharp. But now that Solomon's fieldwork has wound down, he plans on writing behind-the-scenes accounts of Smithsonian ant research for the general public.

But what exactly is there to research about ants? Solomon is
interested in the origin of leafcutter ants. These are species that gather fresh leaves, and use fungi to break it down for nutrients. "It's like an external digestive system," he says. A huge number of new leafcutter ant species appeared in evolutionary history 10 million years ago and Solomon wants to know why.

He uses his trips to the wilderness of Brazil and other spots in South America to learn about the leafcutter's closest relatives,
Trachymyrmex, a relatively unknown genera of ants that also farm fungi. Solomon, who has an interest in evolutionary biology and genetics, hopes to use the information to determine the key molecular and ecological differences between leafcutters and
Trachymyrmex. To learn how the research unfolds, be sure to follow
The Ant Hunter on his blog.

A Selection of Books and Courses Featuring New Exhibitions and Smithsonian Research

The Smithsonian Institution has entered affiliate agreements with the companies listed in our holiday shop, and earns a fee for every purchase made from following any link from these gift guide pages and making a purchase on the affiliate site. This fee helps fund Smithsonian’s activities.

The Smithsonian is a repository of America's history, achievements, aspirations, and identity. It holds the artifacts of great leaders, and those of ordinary Americans. It houses scientific specimens and technological wonders. It is home to art, music, films, writings-a vast treasure trove of objects of extraordinary beauty and outstanding design.

Kennewick Man: The Scientific Investigation of an Ancient American Skeleton (Peopling of the Americas Publications) [Douglas W. Owsley, Richard L. Jantz] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Almost from the day of its accidental discovery along the banks of the Columbia River in Washington State in July 1996